Ghost in the Shell 2.0

The classic anime movie Ghost in the Shell is getting a make over. The new version of Ghost in the Shell that has been released on Blu-ray is a remastered version that Mamoru Oshii released to a small number of theatres in Japan back on July 12th 2008. The idea for Ghost in the Shell 2.0 was to go back to the original source and enhance it by recreating certain scenes with all new 3-D CG animation and digital effects, whilst also completely remastering the audio in collaboration with Randy Thom over at Skywalker Sound. From the lips of Oshii himself:

“In terms of CGI, there are over 90 cuts that have been altered and enhanced. And with extensive use of filter effects and colour correction techniques throughout the rest of the film, it’s fair to say that pretty much the entire movie has been enhanced in some way.”

Some of the changes might appear to be pretty jarring.

Original 1995 Version

2.0 Version

Original 1995 Version

2.0 Version

Original 1995 Version

2.0 Version

Original 1995 Version

2.0 Version

I don’t know why they would go back to mess with this film. The original movie was ground breaking, and featured amazing animation. I don’t know why you would make changes to that. And looking at these still images, I think that I’ll prefer the original version. There’s a quality to the 2-D animation that the 3-D animation can’t copy. It just doesn’t have the same feel to it. I’ll have to watch the movie to see how it comes together, but looking at these stills I get the feeling that  the 3-D might feel slapped on and unnecessary. I don’t know why they would mess with a classic.

More screen shots from both versions can be seen here.

Live-Action Ghost in the Shell

Variety has reported that the seminal anime movie Ghost in the Shell is getting a live-action, English-language remake. The project is being produced by DreamWorks, with the plan to make the futuristic police thriller as a 3D live-action film.

DreamWorks has tapped screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis to adapt  the Japanese manga property. Kalogridis was the writer and executive producer on Martin Scorsese’s upcoming thriller “Shutter Island,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio. Kalogridis was also a writer on the short lived remake of the Bionic Woman TV show. Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and originally brought the project to DreamWorks.

Created by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell is a cyber-punk future story about a cyborg named Motoko Kusanagi who works for a Japanese Public Safety division known as Section 9. She is mostly composed of mechanical components with only her brain remaining organic. The title is a reference to whether or not she has a soul (the ghost) within the shell of her synthetic body. Motoko often even wonders if her memories are also manufactured and nothing about her is real. The character has been used in many different ways, so it’s not known if DreamWorks plans to create their own story based on the manga or if they may remake one of the pre-existing anime movies.

Ghost in the Shell was first published in 1989. It went on to generate two more manga editions, three anime film adaptations, and an anime TV series. The second anime film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in the U.S. by DreamWorks in 2004.

Kalogridis wrote Night Watch with director Timur Bekmambetov, which got Timur noticed and lead him to a job directing Wanted and producing 9. Kalogridis also scripted the not-so-popular films Alexander and Pathfinder.

Ghost in the Shell is a legendary anime movie. And in an even broader scope, it is a high mark for the cyper-punk and sci-fi genres, as well as setting a standard for incredible animation. This remake has a lot to live up to, but it has the potential to be something that will blow people away. I have high hopes for this movie.

Discuss it in the forums.

Spend A Day With Pixar

The Cartoon Art Museum released this press announcement about of fund raiser that they will be holding in cooperation with Pixar Animation Studios. Its a bit pricey, but it sounds like it could be a lot of fun. And remember, its not so much about spending the money for a night out, its about supporting a charity.

Spend the day at Pixar Animation Studios For the Sixth Annual Cartoon Art Museum Benefit!
Saturday November 14, 2009

The Cartoon Art Museum, the only museum in the western United States dedicated to all forms of cartoons and comics, is delighted to host its sixth annual benefit on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at Pixar Animation Studios. From Pixar’s inception in 1986 with the premiere of its iconic short film, Luxo Jr., to the studio’s latest full-length feature, Disney•Pixar’s Up, Pixar has wowed and charmed the world with its incredible computer animated creations. This year, there are two great ways to experience the magic of Pixar up close and personal at the studio’s Emeryville home:

The Family Fun Tier (1:00 – 4:00 pm)
The Family Fun Tier is designed for families to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the world of Pixar. Entry includes the chance to get up close and personal to rarely seen Toy Story art, sculptures, and other items from the Pixar archives and experience a gallery exhibition featuring stunning pre-production artwork from Up. Family Fun Tier members will also be able to participate in a Silent Auction to bid on original and signed works by Pixar creators. Pixar artists will be on hand to teach kids how to draw Pixar characters. Finally, a selection of Pixar short films (including One Man Band, Lifted, Presto, Burn-E and several Cars Toons) will be showing in Pixar’s state-of-the-art screening room in a continuous loop.

For this Tier, doors open at 1 pm. Tickets are $35 for an individual or $100 for a Family Four Pack, which includes entry for 2 adults and 2 children under 18 (or 1 adult and 3 children).

The VIP Screening Tier (11:00 am — 4:00 pm)
The VIP Screening Tier is designed for the biggest fans to help support the Cartoon Art Museum and to experience Pixar’s state-of-the-art digital theater. Entry includes access to everything from the Family Fun Tier plus access to Pixar’s Studio Store where guests can purchase Pixar items at employee prices. The centerpiece of the event is a noon time 3D screening that includes the rarely seen Cars Toon Tokyo Mater, and the feature film Toy Story 2. The screening will be hosted by Dr. Michael B. Johnson (Pixarian and CAM board member), who will lead a Q&A session along with several other Toy Story 2 crew members. The VIP Screening Tier also includes an offering of light lunchtime snacks, treats and conversation with the speakers and other Pixar employees.

For this Tier, doors open two hours early — at 11 am. Cartoon Art Museum members can purchase tickets for the reduced rate of $99, while the non-member rate is $149. Save money and become a member of the Cartoon Art Museum today! Reserved rows for ten are available for $1,500. Treat your friends or employees to an evening of animated fun.

Pixar Animation Studios is located in Emeryville, California. Free parking is available on site. Call 415-227-8666, ext. 300 to purchase tickets.

Tickets will not be sold at the door.

About the Cartoon Art Museum
Founded in 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to cartoons and comics. The Museum was started by a group of cartoonists and collectors who wanted to share their appreciation of this unique art form with the rest of the world. The Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms to benefit historians, cartoonists, journalists, artists, collectors and the general public.

About Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL•E, and most recently, Up. The Northern California studio has won 22 Academy Awards® and its ten films have grossed more than $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney•Pixar is Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010).

Cartoon Art Museum
655 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
415-CARTOON http://www.cartoonart.org/

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm
Admission: $6 General, $4 Students and Seniors, $2 Children (6-12 years old), Free for members and Children under 6

Check out our blog:
http://cartoonart.livejournal.com/

Join the Cartoon Art Museum MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/cartoonartmuseum

Discuss it in the forums.

Blood Energy Potions

First they made energy drink shots in bottles shaped like potion bottles that any worthy dungeon adventurer would be carrying. Now the makers of the Mana and Health Energy Potions are making the Blood Energy Potion bags.

They bill it as being the world’s first synthetic blood beverage, but these pouches actually contain a fruit pouch flavored drink. Each pouch is said to contain 4 hours of energy, along with protein, and electrolytes. The Blood Pouch Energy has drink has been developed with a similar nutritional makeup to real blood, as well as having a similar color, look, and consistency.

The pouches are designed to look like transfusion bags, and they are resealable. This is a crazy product, but at the same time its kind of cool. This will be a great prop for people to add to their horror game sessions, or for people to add to the ambiance of their Halloween parties. I think its great that they’re making containers that can be used as props in different genres.

Discuss it in the forums.

Echo, Belmont, and Asteroids Fly to the Silver Screen

Echo

Lloyd Levin, the producer behind Watchmen and Hellboy, has secured the rights to Echo in a six figure deal. Echo, a comic book series by Terry Moore, is the story of a photographer who is preoccupied with her personal problems until she gets doused by a form of liquid metal. The liquid is the result of a military experiment gone wrong. After the incident she discovers that she can harness the power of a nuclear bomb. And now the military wants to make her their walking weapon.

Castlevania

Video Game publisher Konami is in final negotiations with James Wan to direct a live-action Castlevania movie. Wan, who helmed Saw, will be teamed with script writer Ian Jeffers. Wan and Jeffers had previouslyworked together on the Kevin Bacon action-thriller Death Sentence. Steven Paul of Crystal Sky Entertainment is set to produce.

The movie focuses on the battle between the legendary vampire Dracula, and the Belmont family of vampire hunters. The battle takes place in a labyrinth like fortress in the Carpathian Mountains. Castlevania debuted as a video game in Japan in 1986, and went on to become an extremely popular franchise in the U.S. Wan and Jeffers had previously worked together the Kevin Bacon action-thriller Death Sentence.

Asteroids

Universal has gained the feature film rights to the vintage Atari video game Asteroids. Matt Lopez, whose recent credits include Bedtime Stories and Race to With Mountain, has been hired to write the script. Atari launched the 2-D Asteroids game in 1979. As the video game industry began to flourish, Asteroids became one of the most widely known titles of the time. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, whose recent films includeTransformers: The Rise of the Fallen, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, will produce.

Comic books remain fertile ground for movie producers to mine. Terry Moore has a strong fan base, and his  Echo series is a much enjoyed comic book. You never know how an adaptation is going to turn out, but a movie based on one of Moore’s comics will be interesting to see. Given Moore’s reputation in the comic book industry, and his built in fan base, giving an Echo movie a shot seems like a good idea for the studio.

Unfortunately there’s not much that you can say about the video game to movie adaptations that have been produced. Not much good that you can say at least. Castlevania is a world that you should be able to develop a good movie around. And it shouldn’t hurt that there’s been heightened interest in vampire properties recently. However, the video game to movie track record hasn’t been good. Its an interesting idea for them to try, but I can’t get excited about it because of the dismal video game movies in the past.

And I have no idea where Asteroids came from. Of all of the things that you could pick up for development, how does someone land on Asteroids? Was someone browsing a yard sale, or cleaning out their attic, and came across the old Atari cartridge, and thought, “Asteroids, of course!” I think that this one will be bad. Given the previously mentioned record of past video game movies, I think that Asteroids will crash. And I know that we shouldn’t pre-judge, but having the screenwriter of G.I. Joe scripting this movie just fills me with dread. If his writing was that terrible for a toy franchise from the 80s, then what will he do with a video game property from the 70s?

Discuss it in the forums.

Turtles Forever

There’s been plenty on news about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lately, but not to be forgotten is the upcoming new animated movie titled Turtles Forever. This movie is being produced by 4Kids Entertainment and will be released direct-to-DVD, with a special airing on the CW4Kids station on November 15. With the recent acquisition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property by Nickelodeon, this will be the last Turtles project by   4 Kids Entertainment.

The set up to this Turtle team-up is that a new, gigantic, evil, and terrifying Technodrome suddenly appears in the present world. The Technodrome, if you need a refresher, was the giant mobile battle station used by the bodiless brain known as Krang from the original 1988 TMNT animated series. Traveling inside of the Technodrome are the Murakami Wolf-Swenson versions of the Ninja Turtles from the original 1988 series.

The 80s Turtles meet up with the 4Kids version of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo from the 2003 series. The more current Turtles find themselves with a huge mystery to solve, and now with four crazy Turtles to babysit! The Turtles of the past and the Turtles of the present must team together, and stop annoying each other long enough to stop all of time and space from unraveling.

The movie will feature characters from both versions of the cartoons, and will even mix in some characters from the original Mirage comic books that hadn’t been seen in animated form. This could be a really cool movie and it is a great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Cowabunga!

Discuss it in the forums.

Marvel Event is Astonishing

Marvel will host an all-new interactive outdoor event in New York City called MarvelFest NYC. The event is being held to celebrate the iTunes release of the Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

The motion comic is based on Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s run on Astonishing X-Men. The debut of this motion comic will be projected three stories high in union Square so that fans can experience the adventure like never before.

The event begins at 4 p.m. at the comic shop Forbidden Planet, where several creators (including Chris Claremont, Neal Adams and Dan Slott) will be on hand to meet fans and do signings. The Union Square premiere of the motion comic will start at 6pm. Other events will include giveaways, an opportunity for fans to photograph themselves in a Marvel cover, sketches from Marvel creators, and a  MarvelFest Costume Contest with limited edition figures and comics as participation prizes for entrants.

This isn’t the first motion comic to be released. And it isn’t even the first motion comic from Marvel. Yet, Marvel is creating quite an event to promote this product release. I wonder if MarvelFest could become a regular event. Maybe Marvel will start holding its own convention to promote its properties. At any rate, this first MarvelFest looks to be a ton of fun.

Discuss it in the forums.

iComics

Apple has played a big part in changing the music, movie, and TV industries, and now it might play a part in the future of comic books. It has been long rumored that  Apple is developing a tablet device, and a new report suggests that a digital comic book distributor could be helping to bring it along. In his latest column for the Chicago Sun-Times, Andy Ihnatko profiled a start-up company called LongBox, which will launch a software platform for purchasing and viewing comic books. LongBox is being hailed as the iTunes of comic books.

LongBox is set to debut in November, and is being rumored to have a secret, key partnership inked. Ihnatko said he has reason to believe it centers around Apple’s tablet.

“There are signs that (Apple) is getting into the digital comic book market,” he said. “Which is tantamount to saying ‘Apple is helping to create a digital comic book market.’”

Ihnatko’s speculation is based on the fact that the LongBox CEO, Rantz Hoseley, told him that the company’s unannounced partnership is with a manufacturer who has received high-profile coverage of upcoming hardware on a number of technology web sites. Hoseley said that the company in question is the only one that would give LonBox “a multinational launch with literally millions of installed users,” which Inhatko assumed will be the iTunes Store.

Its believed that Apple’s  tablet device will be released in 2010, and now speculation is growing that it will serve as an e-reader. In September, rumors swirled that Apple was contacting print publications about putting their products for sale on iTunes, for use in a new piece of hardware. People familiar with The New York Times, publishers McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press, and a consortium of magazine executives were all said to have been involved.

Some publishers are already publicly planning for Apple’s yet-unannounced tablet. A group led by Time Inc. intends to create a digital store for magazines and other publications to sell their content. Among the formats the publishers hope to make their content compatible with is Apple’s long-rumored, 10-inch touchscreen device. In their talks, the publishers and the Cupertino, Calif., company have reportedly had disagreements over the business model to adopt.

Tyrese Gibson’s Mayhem is the first digital book for sale through Apple’s new iTunes LP format. The $1.99 album features three comics, an exclusive song, a 45-minute making of video, storyboards, alternate covers, concept art, desktop wallpapers and more.

“And it’s not just text and images; both audio and video come along with the package,” Fortt said. “The interface is designed so that it would obviously work nearly as well on a touch-sensitive tablet – or even on an iPhone – as it does on a full-fledged PC.”

A tablet device from Apple has been talked about for a long time. And while nothing official has been released yet, I do think that there will be an Apple tablet in the future. Apple has been an innovator in creating new media devices. Given the popularity of Apple’s iPod devices and iTunes store front, they could play a big part in helping digital comics explode in the industry. Its hard to say much about an ebook until you actually try it for yourself. The user interface will be a key component in selling people on digital comics. LongBox might have a good system worked out, and it is something that needs to be explored when it launches. A combination of LongBox with an Apple tablet could change the comic book industry.

Discuss it in the forums.

Turtle Power !

Reuters has announced that 4Kids Entertainment will end it’s long term relationship as a production partner and licensing agent to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Mirage Group, owners of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property, have sold the iconic brand to Nickelodeon, a division of Viacom Inc. The deal for approximately $9.75 million means that 4Kids Entertainment will terminate its right to serve as the merchandise licensing earlier than the original deal that was set to expire in 2012.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were originally an independent comic book created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984. The comic became wildly popular and lead to the Turtles entering into other media. The Turtles were spun into two different animated TV series with over 350 hours of programming, four live action movies, and a plethora of action figures and other merchandise. In fact TMNT holds a place in the top tenfor  all-time worldwide sales of toy action figures, and over 600 worldwide merchandise licensees.

The sale of the Turtles property comes in the year of it’s 25th anniversary. ”This is a great deal for all parties,” said Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. “We congratulate our partners at Mirage on the sale of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Nickelodeon and on their gracious recognition of the contribution made by 4Kids to re-launch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise in 2002 for a new generation of kids around the world. We also congratulate Nickelodeon on acquiring the rights to an outstanding boys’ property.”

“From 4Kids’ perspective, we received a $9.75 million capital injection at the Closing and a share of Turtles royalties through June 30, 2010,” added Kahn. “4Kids will also continue to air the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television episodes that it co-produced with Mirage in ‘TheCW4Kids’ block on the CW Network through the end of the 2009-2010 broadcast season.”

4Kids, Mirage and Viacom will work together so that Turtles broadcast and merchandise licensees can be assured of a seamless transition which is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2010.

The Mirage Group is a group of companies, including Mirage Studios, Inc., located in Northampton, Massachusetts, that owned and managed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property since its creation in 1984, and continued through 2009.

4Kids Entertainment, master licensing agent for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is a global organization devoted to the creation, development, production, broadcasting, distribution, licensing and manufacturing of children’s entertainment products. It’s U.S. headquarters is in New York City, with regional offices for its trading card business in San Diego, California and international offices in London and Hong Kong. Additional information is available on the www.4kidsentertainment.com corporate Web site and at the www.4kids.tv game station site.

The Teenage Mutant Turtles are one of the most successful comic book properties in the history of comics. The fact that it started out as an indy comic makes it even more amazing. The Turtles are icons, and they have made tons of money for their holding companies. $9.75 million seems like a good investment for Viacom. I think that it will prove to be a small price to pay for the returns that the Turtles property will bring in.

Discuss it in the forums.

Talking Comics

TED has this presentation by Scott McCloud about comics. The talk goes a little into the subjects of McCloud’s father, visionary thinkers, the nature of comics, and his idea of using the infinite canvas to bring comic books to the web.

Scott McCloud is considered to be  comic book scholar. His books Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics are an articulate and intelligent look at the medium, and they are highly regarded in the comic book community. This video shows McCloud to be a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker, and it should be checked out.

Discuss it in the forums.